Outdoor Recreation

Dallas County provides a wide variety of outdoor recreational pursuits. The Raccoon River Greenbelt, the streams, woodlands, wetlands, prairie and associated county and state areas provide outdoor enthusiasts, vital high quality recreational activities and experiences in all seasons.

It is not difficult to find outdoor recreation opportunities in Dallas County. The Raccoon River system plus a section of the DesMoines River provide ample opportunity for water related activities such as canoeing and fishing. Eleven boat ramps are spaced along the waterways. Beaver Lake also adds to this interest. The woodlands, wetlands, and prairie form diverse habitats that hold a variety of wildlife species of interest to nature lovers such as bird watchers and photographers. Parks throughout the county provide picnic areas, campgrounds, and playgrounds for park users. Dallas County trails enable the visitor to choose from a hike on a quiet nature trail or the chance to use the Raccoon River Valley Trail which is one of the finest hard-surfaced multi-use recreational trails in the country. Some of these trails are suitable for use by cross country skiers in the winter. Several state owned and county owned areas offer public hunting. For example, there are sections of the Kuehn Conservation Area and Hanging Rock where hunting is allowed.